CONTENTS : 1. Introduction : Toward a Sustainable Future 2 PART One Ecosystems : Basic Units of the Natural World 24 2. Ecosystems : What They Are 26 3. Ecosystems : How They Work 52 4. Ecosystems : How They Change 80 PART Two The Human Population 114 5. The Human Population 116 6. Population and Development 142 PART Three Renewable Resources 166 7. Water : Hydrologic Cycle and Human Use 168 8. Soil : Foundation for Land Ecosystems 194 9. The Production and Distribution of Food 218 10. Wild Species and Biodiversity 244 11. Ecosystem Capital : Use and Restoration 272 PART Four Energy 302 12. Energy from Fossil Fuels 304 13. Energy from Nuclear Power 330 14. Renewable Energy 354 PART Five Pollution and Prevention 382 15. Environmental Hazards and Human Health 384 16. Pests and Pest Control 410 17. Water Pollution and Its Prevention 436 18. Municipal Soild Waste : Disposal and Recovery 464 19. Hazardous Chemicals : Pollution and Prevention 484 20. The Atmosphere : Climate, Climate Change, and Ozone Depletion 508 21. Atmospheric Pollution 542 PART Six Toward a Sustainable Future 572 22. Economics, Public Policy, and the Environment 574 23. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles 600 Appendix A-Environmental Organizations 625 Appendix B-Units of Measure 629 Appendix C-Some Basic Chemical Concepts 631 Credits 639 Glossary 643 Index 667